REVIEW article

Front. Pharmacol.

Sec. Gastrointestinal and Hepatic Pharmacology

Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1538791

Mucoprotectants and gut barrier: mechanisms of action and clinical applications in IBS. Is there a possible role?

Provisionally accepted
Francesco RetturaFrancesco Rettura1Christian LambiaseChristian Lambiase1*Riccardo TedeschiRiccardo Tedeschi1Antonio GrossoAntonio Grosso1Lorenzo CancelliLorenzo Cancelli1Angelo RicchiutiAngelo Ricchiuti1Andrea BottariAndrea Bottari1Luca GiacomelliLuca Giacomelli2Nicola De BortoliNicola De Bortoli1Massimo BelliniMassimo Bellini1
  • 1University of Pisa, Pisa, Tuscany, Italy
  • 2Polistudium srl, Milan, Lombardy, Italy

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Impaired gut barrier function plays a pivotal role in the pathophysiology of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), particularly in IBS with diarrhea. Mucoprotectants, such as xyloglucan, gelatin tannate and pea protein tannins, offer a novel therapeutic approach by restoring intestinal permeability and reducing inflammation. This review assesses preclinical and clinical evidence supporting mucoprotectants in IBS with diarrhea management. Preclinical studies indicate their efficacy in reducing intestinal permeability and inflammation, while clinical trials demonstrate improvements in stool consistency, abdominal pain and bloating. Despite these promising results, comparative studies are needed to establish the superiority of specific mucoprotectants and their optimal use in clinical practice.

Keywords: Andrea Bottari: Writing -original draft, Writing -review & editing. Angelo Ricchiuti: Writing -original draft, Writingreview & editing. Antonio Grosso: Writing -original draft, Writing -review & editing. Christian Lambiase: Conceptualization, Writing -review & editing. Lorenzo Cancelli: Writing -original draft, Writing -review & editing. Luca Giacomelli: Writingreview & editing. Massimo Bellini: Conceptualization, supervision, Writing -review & editing. Nicola De Bortoli: Writingreview & editing. Francesco Rettura: Conceptualization

Received: 03 Dec 2024; Accepted: 14 Apr 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Rettura, Lambiase, Tedeschi, Grosso, Cancelli, Ricchiuti, Bottari, Giacomelli, De Bortoli and Bellini. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Christian Lambiase, University of Pisa, Pisa, 56126, Tuscany, Italy

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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